this morning, it's all about jobs. >> the first jobs report of the year, released in just a few hours. but already, a big, encouraging clue. freshman class. the most diverse congress in history. as lawmakers dive into the year with an important bill today. rare look. a snapshot of the world's most photographed woman, princess diana, unseen until now. and new season. american fans of "downton abbey" ready for the return of the pbs blockbuster. with one big change from last year.

good morning, everybody. we begin this friday with the first major economic report of 2013 being released this morning. a crucial, final look at jobs in 2012. >> and just ahead of the labor department's december employment report, there's a preview showing signs of strength and resilience in the job market. the adp numbers show businesses added 215,000 jobs last month, the biggest gain in 10 months. there was a jump in construction jobs. almost 40,000, because of hurricane sandy rebuilding and the housing recovery. and in washington, the new congress is gearing up to get down to work. they have a full plate in front of them, with their fair share of bitter battles already looming. abc's tahman bradley joins us, now, from washington, with the latest. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, rob and paula. right out of the gate, members of this new congress have a lot to deal with. they have to take on spending and deficit reduction. but the first order of business is aid for people still

struggling to put their lives back together after hurricane sandy. the newly sworn in 113th congress gets down to business today. first up, a vote on a $9 billion aid package for victims of superstorm sandy. but that's just a fraction of the $60 billion in aid the senate had approved. the house adjourned before the vote, which set off a firestorm. northeastern politicians erupted. >> republican leadership has turned their backs on new yorkers. >> we sent them there. we sent them there. to do the work for us. not to sit down there and play with each other. >> reporter: and northeast residents, some of whom lost everything during sandy, voiced their anger. >> they're supposed to be representing us. >> reporter: the $9 billion aid package congress will take up today, will cover flood insurance for regions impacted by sandy. the house leadership has promised a vote on a separate, $51 million package later this month. with sandy relief seemingly

resolved, the new congress will turn its attention to two, big, looming battles that will surely give new members a taste of washington's bitter partisan divide. >> it's a bit like walking into a dinner party, where the couple that's hosting it is already in the middle of a fight. >> reporter: congress mustard the automatic, across-the-board spending cuts that will take effect in two months. and the possible default of the government when the country reaches the debt ceiling. house speaker john boehner, who was re-elected, despite rebellion, says he hopes the new congress will rise to meet the country's extraordinary challenges. rob and paula? >> time will tell. should be interesting. tahman bradley in washington. thanks, tahman. and there was a moment of bipartisanship, believe it or not. dozens of democrats and republicans, cheering on illinois senator, mark kirk. nearly a year after suffering a major stroke, kirk made the slow climb to the front door of the senate, with a little help from the v.p. and another colleague. he conquered all 45 steps.

we'll look at some of the other memorable moments, coming up in just a minute. and a special visitor comes to newtown, connecticut, today. former congresswoman, gabby giffords, is meeting with families of the 26 school attack victims. meantime, the school's children head back to class for their second day today in a new building, amid very tight security. abc's amy robach reports. >> reporter: officials say the buses were packed, and attendance was high, as nearly 500 sandy hook students returned to class for the first time. >> most of the kids were excited. seeing friends they haven't seen in awhile. they were anxious to get into the hallways and meet up with the other kids. and you could see the teachers had the same response. >> reporter: but for many parents, it was a difficult, emotional day. we were with erin milgram and her first grader, lauren, as they prepared for school. >> we just try to focus on the happy things. we really have no idea what we're doing. >> reporter: during the shooting, lauren's teacher hid her 15 students in a tiny bathroom.

erin was one of many parents who stayed at school with their children. have you thought about next week and what each day may bring? will it get easier? >> i hope so. i hope so. i can't stay with them every day. i know at some point i'm going to have to let them go. >> reporter: and even as students pass daily reminders of what happened in newtown, erin knows they're one step closer to healing, each and every day. >> you get so worried and you get caught up in everything that happen and the tragedy of it all. and then, they surprise you by bouncing back. >> reporter: congresswoman gabby giffords has planned a private meeting with families today. and she was meeting with michael bloomberg about gun control. amy robach, abc news, newtown, connecticut. and secretary of state hillary clinton goes back to work next week after a month away. clinton is resting at home after leaving a hospital in new york on wednesday.

but she's also seen to state department staff in preparation for her return. clinton won't be making overseas trips for the time being, as she continues to recover from a blood clot. three senators are turning up the heat on the cia, over the movie, "zero dark thirty." they complain that the u.s. used torture in the hunt for osama bin laden. now, they're trying to find out if cia officials deliberately misled the filmmakers. the lawmakers sent a letter to the cia director this week, asking for all documents the agency provided to the filmmakers. it's time for the weather of the nation. morning showers in the pacific northwest. snow tapers off from new mexico to southwest texas. showers in corpus christi, dallas and midland. and showers in west palm beach. and flurries in western new york. >> upper 20s across the midwest. 40s from seattle to portland. and when we come back, think

your job is stressful? well, the new list of most stressful jobs is just out. and flu cases are spiking far and wide right now. why this season is already so miserable for so many. and capturing memorable moments from a day of firsts on capitol hill.

and welcome back, everyone. as we reported at the top of the broadcast, there's a positive preview ahead of today's all-important december employment report from the labor department. the adp private sector numbers

show that businesses added 215,000 jobs last month. that's the best in ten months. and it turns out 2012 was a good year for auto sales in the u.s., which topp eped 14.5 mill. the biggest numbers, with sales jumping 21%. and ford's f-series trucks were the best-selling vehicles for the 31st-straight year. >> not a bad record. an offshore oil drilling giant will be digging deep in a settlement over the 2010 oil spill. transocean, owner of the deepwater horizon rig that exploded, has agreed to pay for a deal that settles the claims against the government. the money will help boost recovery projects in that oil spill disaster zone. the consumer electronics show rolled into vegas next week. and toyota and audi say they'll have new, self-driving car technology to unveil.

toyota has posted a brief clip of a lexus sporting some of the features, including radar and cameras that can spot other cars and also detect traffic signals. not bad. >> not so sure about that. >> in time. and looking for a new career in 2013? well, we have this list of this year's most and least stressful jobs. enlisted military personnel, military general, and firefighter, they top the list of stressful jobs in a survey put together by careercast.com. university professor, seamstress and medical records technician, are the least stressful. >> after the overnight, that sounds promising. when we come back this morning, two teenagers who learned the hard way about keeping off the ice. and then, a look at a lopsided fiesta bowl that featured a very rare play. try this. it's oikos greek yogurt.

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♪ hotwire.com the coast guard had to come to the rescue of a couple caught in rough waters in the gulf of mexico. the man's wife believes he suffered a heart attack on their sailboat about 200 miles from new orleans. the air crew plucked the couple from the boat. and airlifted the man to the hospital in stable condition. now, to your morning road conditions. a slick ride in the pacific northwest. snow-covered highways in new mexico to southwest texas. showers and thunderstorms dampen roads in south texas and florida. >> if you're flying, it should be smooth sailing. weather-related airport delays are only expected in dallas. back to the news, now. federal investigators spoke out on thursday on a pretty tough topic. shining a light on the very dark world of sexually exploited children. >> special agents announced over the past two months, what's called "operation sunflower" has

identified 123 sexually exploited children, some as young as 2, and led to the arrests of 245 people. and the search for a 19-year-old northern california woman is coming up empty, four days after she vanished. alyssa byrne was last seen at a music festival in north lake tahoe. friends say she took a shuttle bus without them. a call or text was made from alyssa's cell phone just after midnight on the 1st. they're also looking into some cryptic tweets. and next door in arizona, two teenagers there say they have learned their lesson. they wound up hanging on to a dead tree after the frozen lake they were walking across cracked. both lost a shoe in the icy waters. so, they covered their bare feet with their hats. after being stuck there for more than four hours, rescuers arrived and pulled them to safety. lesson learned, indeed. and police in south florida are seeking help after three

guys were seen on surveillance tape, holding up a radio shack outlet. it happened this past monday. after corralling people in a storage room, they went about stealing expensive cell phones, iphones, as well. then, they fled out a back door and into, yep, a waiting getaway car. and if you were feeling under the weather this morning, you have a whole lot of company. government doctors say the worst flu season in a decade is currently under way. and relief is nowhere in sight. here's abc's dr. richard besser with his flu-fighting prescription. >> reporter: it's an early outbreak. in arizona this time last year, there were 18 cases of flu. today, 790. in new york, 84 last year. today, 3,975. massachusetts, 126 last year. today, 3,736. >> we are seeing an average of over 600 cases a week of influenza-like illness.

the volume is unusual for this time of year. >> reporter: from kentucky to north carolina, to texas. there hasn't been an outbreak this early for ten years. and that year, the outbreak was severe. we know with just one sneeze, the virus can spread 20 feet in just seconds. you're infected a full day before you show any symptoms, a bad mix. but why would this flu season be spreading so quickly? so soon? is this a new flu? one that isn't in this year's vaccine? one we're not immune to? so far, the vaccine seems to be a good match. >> i can't remember ever starting early in november. >> reporter: or more intriguing, could dry air be the culprit behind early outbreak? it's the most interesting new theory. in damp air, the water droplets take the flu to the ground quickly. dry air, look at the sneeze again. the virus floats in the air longer, spreading further. all doctors know right now is that the flu is already here. >> the most important thing you can do, get the flu shot. it takes two weeks to work.

but this flu season has a long way to go. and it could be a rough one. dr. richard besser, abc news, new york. and now, we turn to some sports news today. the nfl playoffs get under way tomorrow afternoon. can't wait for that. the bengals will visit the texans. as for some college football right now, we have some thursday night highlights from espn. >> good morning. i'm hakem dermish with your "sportscenter" update. number four oregon, taking on number five, kansas state. the tostitos fiesta bowl. what could be chip kelly's final college at game. opening kickoff. de'anthony thomas, 93 yards for the touchdown. first return for a touchdown for oregon this season. ducks go for two. they get it. up 8-0 early. more ducks. marcus mariota, to kenjon barner. and number four oregon, takes down kansas state, 35-17. oregon, with the second-straight bcs bowl game victory.

and chip kelly, earning his third-straight winning season. indiana hoetsing colorado. under a minute to play. colorado up five. jordan mays would steal. under ten seconds to go. mark wise makes the second. we're tied at 80-80. here we go. sabatino chen. for the win. can you be a hero for colorado? got it. but hold on a second. another look. tough to tell. might have barely gotten off in time. the call is waved off. we go to overtime. in overtime, buffs, one of nine from the floor. mark lyons, he tied for a season-high 24 points. arizona remains unbeaten. and speaking of unbeatens, duke will try to remain undefeated against wake forest. noon on espnu. also, texas takes on baylor,

2:00 eastern on espnu, also live on the watch espn app. >> that's your favorite team, right? >> carolina. they will rise later in the year. up next, "the pulse." a picture of princess diana was that never supposed to be seen in public. it surfaces after all these years. and america's favorite british import is back. and "downton abbey" is getting a familiar, american face. [ elizabeth ] i like to drink orange juice or have lemon in my water... eat tomato sauce on my spaghetti. the acidic levels in some foods can cause acid erosion. the enamel starts to wear down. and you can't grow your enamel back. i was quite surprised, as only few as four exposures a day what that can do to you. it's quite a lesson learned. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel. because it helps to strengthen the enamel. he recommended that i use it every time i brush. you feel like there is something that you're doing to help safeguard against the acid erosion.

and i believe it's doing a good job. five days later, i had a massive heart attack. bayer aspirin was the first thing the emts gave me. now, i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ woman ] learn from my story. before you begin an aspirin regimen. capella university understands nurses are dealing with a than wider range of issues. and there are ever-changing regulations.

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capitol hill, thanks to a pint-sized attention-grabber. >> this is a cute moment. new york senator kristen jill brand's son, thought it would be a good idea to ruffle his mom's hair, just as the vice president was swearing her in. tender mommy moment. >> a working mom moment. and the vice president made some news, as well. had a few memorable moments. he was said to be flirting with the wives and moms of several senators during the swearing-in. not just the wives. but the moms. >> everybody needs love. >> that's great. >> he even offered tim scott some help with his picks. all of his antics getting lots of attention online. say many things about the vice president. he's not dull. >> not in the least. and there's new evidence princess diana continues to captivate the world, even after all these years. a rare photo of a teenage diana, preroyal family, has now

surfaced and is going up for auction this month. >> can only imagine how much it's going to fetch. the black and white photo is believed to be on a ski trip in switzerland around 1980, when diana was 19. a young man is on the bed. a bottle of johnnie walker whisky nearby. >> and written on it by a newspaper photo editor, quote, not to be published. and finally, sunday night, the wait, finally comes to an end. as "downton abbey" season three debuts on pbs. >> for those who do not know, this season picks up in post-world war i england. fans are likely aware that shirley maclaine joins the cast as an american relative. >> but the relationship between matthew and mary is sure to provide a lot of questions. and the fate of bates must be decided, as well. will his murder conviction actually stand? >> will it? >> no spoilers here, folks.

you have to tune in and check it out. >> i need to start watching that. men and women like it. >> yeah. it's good. for some of you, your local news is next. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much. i appreciate it. i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. your money needs an ally. well, inside the brewer, there's a giant staircase. and the room is filled with all these different kinds of coffee. actually, i just press this button.

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while thermocontrol wicks moisture away. keep moving. new stayfree. updating our top stories now. the government releases the december employment report this morning. and ahead of those numbers, adp says 215,000 private-sector jobs were added last month. former congresswoman gabby giffords visits today with the 26 victims of the newtown, connecticut, shooting attack. meantime, the children return for day two in their new school. and the state department says secretary of state hillary clinton will be back to work next week. she is said to be recovering very well from that blood clot. clinton, though, will not be making any overseas trips for the time being. looking at today's weather. morning showers in the pacific northwest. lingering snow from new mexico into west texas. and flurries in western new york. and finally from us this morning, the changing face of the new congress.

ushering in more girl power than ever before. >> abc's diane sawyer found out what's on the minds of the 20 women, claiming their place in the senate. >> reporter: they are living, breathing history. they are 20 senators, republican and democrat, who say they have had it with gridlock and the way congress works. >> if they can delay a problem, they'll do it. we don't believe in delay. >> reporter: barbara mikulski, she has brought women together for years. >> square your shoulders. put your lipstick on and fight the revolution. >> i don't want people who watch this show to think we're some kind of a sorority because we're not. we all march to the sound of different drummers to some

extent. >> reporter: how many of you absolutely know america is ready to elect a female president? >> absolutely. >> reporter: how many of you think there will be a nominee? a female nominee, in 2016? >> we hope so. >> i think the thing is, every man wakes up in the morning and looks in the mirror and says, i can be president. i think every woman looks in the mirror and says, what can i get done for my country today? >> reporter: not one of you in this room looks in the mirror and says, i can be president? >> well, you may think it from time to time. >> reporter: senator terry aeyote. >> my daughter, said, i don't want you to run for president. why do you ask me that? she says, i want to be the first woman president. >> break the news to her, we're not waiting tha